Cloud computing has expanded significantly over the last few years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has played a major part in this expansion. When the global health crisis hit, businesses saw the potential in cloud computing services and began migrating to them.
The demand for cloud services has grown during the pandemic due to its merits in:
- Cloud-based infrastructure as a remote working solution
- Business continuity and resilience
- Enforced collaboration
- Streamlined business operations
Being a Microsoft Gold Partner and having much experience in cloud services, TEAM International has supported its customers in adopting cloud-based solutions and optimizing the infrastructure. The collaboration has brought us multiple insights, which we’ve summed up into seven effective steps. In the article, we’ll also talk about different benefits and risks of cloud computing and actual trends in the field.
1. Define your goals
Today’s cloud market is diverse and complex. Businesses are required to keep up with multiple trends including IoT and quantum computing if they don’t want to be left behind. Too many options, though, can paralyze decision-makers if company goals are left undefined, so it’s reasonable to build a cloud strategy based on specific company needs.
For example, many c-suite executives have contacted us to identify gaps in their current cloud strategies and suggest specific initiatives to bridge them. By assisting our clients with security improvements and adoption of new technologies such as AI and RPA, we have gained much experience in this area. We’ve also helped cloud beginners in their selection of a cloud provider, with data collection and analysis, actual process execution, and further optimization.
2. Assess the benefits and risks of cloud computing
Nowadays, 81 percent of businesses run at least one app or a part of their operations in the cloud, no matter the scope, industry, or size of the organization. In healthcare alone, this technology has become a driving force for innovation, granting easier access to patient data and improving the workflows of healthcare providers.
But before you rush to join the ranks of cloud fans, it is reasonable to explore cloud computing benefits and risks. You should also make sure that the pros clearly outweigh the cons in your situation before moving forward with any strategy.
We also suggest considering the pros and cons of cloud computing relevant to a particular cloud initiative. Let’s imagine you adopt a multi-cloud strategy. This could help your organization avoid vendor lock-in and get more freedom when it comes to innovation. But you would still have to deal with extra complexity and additional charges.
3. Choose the right as a service model
Regardless of whether you are still at the migration stage or seeking additional ways to optimize operations, it is crucial to go with the right as a service model. When assessing options, understand how you are going to manage the service and how much you are ready to delegate to the cloud provider.
4. Improve operational efficiency with edge computing
For c-suite executives who plan to ease restrictions associated with traditional cloud solutions, edge computing can be a real discovery. The advantages are twofold, as this technology brings data storage and processing closer to the endpoint, preventing any latency or bandwidth issues; and edge computing services ensure better business resilience. Data is distributed and decentralized, thus becoming less vulnerable in case of any network disruption.
For example, Amazon is one of the most popular providers of edge computing services. Many of our customers choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) edge computing due to its reliability and extensive cloud infrastructure coverage. Then, we assist them with configuration and management of those services to achieve better system responsiveness and a higher level of information security.
5. Explore the benefits of cloud automation
With companies moving more IT resources to the cloud, it has become more challenging to manage the ecosystem. In this scenario, our customers look to cloud automation that stands out against other digital transformation trends. For instance, c-suite can monitor the cloud infrastructure automatically and scale it up or down, depending on the client’s needs. This way, if you’re launching a new product and expect higher traffic in the coming period, you can cut costs through scheduled auto-scaling.
Automated cloud policies are also the easiest way to deal with idle or unused cloud nodes and services. It is good to adopt a cloud monitoring system to detect zombie instances, which usually entail additional expenditures in monthly bills. Intelligent automation can help you reduce these extra costs, for example, by shutting down unnecessary or forgotten workloads or resizing instances.
6. Opt for containerization
Fostering the use of containers can be an effective initiative, especially if c-suite deals with cloud-based software or plans to modernize legacy systems.
Lightweight by nature, containers are quicker to run and stop than their common alternative, the virtual machine (VM). A single server can host twice as many containers as VMs, which explains why containers are considered to be cost-effective. Besides, with components stored and deployed separately, containers can ensure high scalability, faster load time, and better business agility.
7. Mitigate risks and consider your next steps
The adoption of digital transformation solutions along with cloud technologies offers growth opportunities but also poses risks. Regarding the latter, let us review the most common ones and share a few tips on how you can effectively avoid those risks early on.
Conclusion
The importance of cloud computing in business organizations lies in improved resilience, innovation, and scalability. Over the years, this revolutionizing technology has evolved to help c-suite bring digital transformation and growth to companies. For this reason, regardless of the different benefits and risks of cloud computing, its widespread adoption is just a matter of time in the 21st century.
Cloud initiatives, whether it is cloud migration or optimization, are great undertakings. Sometimes, businesses need help and professional advice on how to effectively introduce cloud technologies or take them to the next level within their organization. With a wealth of expertise in cloud computing, TEAM International is one of the leaders in the IT field. We support industry pioneers with unique insights and best practices to make their tech experience successful and cost-efficient. Contact us today to find out how you can benefit from on-demand computing services.
